Handled carrying bags



p 1958 H. K. STEEN HANDLED CARRYING BAGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 23, 1955 INVENTOR Hurford K; Sieen Fig. 4.

ATTORNEYS Sept. 30, 1958 H. K. STEEN HANDLED CARRYING BAGS Filed Feb. 23, 1955 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 ATTORNEY$ Sept. 30, 1958 H. K. STEEN 2,854,185

HANDLED CARRYING BAGS Filed Feb. 25, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet s Fig. l I.

INVENTOR Hurford K. Steen United States Patent HANDLE!) CARRYING BAGS Harford K. Steen, Newburgh, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Interstate Bag Company, Inc., a corporation of Virginia Application February 23, 1955, Serial No. $89,854

6 Claims. (Cl. 229-54) This invention relates to paper carrying bags, i. e., to paper bags equipped with carrying handles.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a paper bag equipped with a flexible, looped paper handle which has both its ends secured by adhesion to one wall of the bag, and reinforcing means secured by adhesion to the opposite wall of the bag, there being at least one slot in the reinforced area through which the middle of the handle can be threaded and through which the ends of the handle can then be pulled to secure the bag in closed condition.

A paper handle is desirable for a paper bag because it is inexpensive and because it can be secured to the bag inexpensively and conveniently by adhesion. Adhesion is not, however, a satisfactory form of connection if, when the bag has been loaded and is being carried, a pull is exerted in a direction tending to separate the handle from the bag wall progressively. By securing both ends of the handle to one wall of the bag and then threading the middle of the handle through the opposite wall or through a tab attached to the opposite wall and drawing the handle ends through after the middle portion, all tendency to pull the handle off by pulling the adhesive free hit by bit is avoided. The entire adhesive joint acts simultaneously and continuously to sustain the pull which is then in the plane of the handle and of the bag wall. At the same time the bag is conveniently and effectively held closed by the handle.

It is a further object to render the bag weatherproof by providing a closure flap for the bag together with means for automatically retaining the closure flap in foldeddown condition when the bag is carried by the handle.

In accordance with certain practical and advantageous embodiments of the invention, the paper handle is made broad but transversely flexible. 1 This is desirable be cause the strength of the adhesive joints is increased as the handle is increased in width, and because the comfortableness of the handle is increased as the handle is increased in width. The handle is desirably doubled and re-doubled in thickness along the margins to provide reinforcement and to eliminate sharp raw edges, but an intermediate zone is left of the original thickness in order to provide for transverse flexibility and deformability.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings forming part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, partly broken away, of an illustrative paper bag embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view of the bag shown in Fig. l, the section being taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of any one of Figs. 2, 5, 7 and 13, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation, partly broken away, of a second illustrative form of bag;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, transverse, vertical sectional view of the bag of Fig. 4, the section being taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in elevation, partly broken away, of a third illustrative form of bag;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, transverse, vertical sectional view of the bag of Fig. 6, the section being taken on line 77 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a fourth illustrative form of bag;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, transverse vertical sectional view of the bag of Fig. 8, the section being taken on line 9--9 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view in elevation, partly broken away, of a fifth illustrative form of bag;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on line 1111 of Fig. 10, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view in elevation, partly broken away, of a sixth illustrative form of bag; and

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the form of invention illustratively disclosed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a paper bag 10, desirably of the satchel type, includes opposite walls 12 and 14. A broad, flexible loop handle 16 of paper has one end adhesively secured directly to the bag wall 14 and the other end 20 adhesively secured directly to the end 18 and therefore indirectly secured by adhesion to the wall 14.

The handle is composed of a strip of strong paper which has its margins folded inward toward one another to double the thickness in the marginal zones, and then again folded inward substantially along the median lines of the first folded marginal portions to redouble the thickness. In the finished form, the redoubled marginal zones 16 and 16g are separated by a zone 16h of original thickness equal in width at least to the width of one of the marginal zones or preferably, as shown, equal in width to the sum of the widths of the two marginal zones. As shown, the smooth side of the handle is disposed at the inner side of the handle loop for engagement with the hand of the user.

The wall 12 has a reinforcing tab 21 of paper or paperboard adhered to its inner surface adjacent the bag mouth. A slot 22 is formed in the reinforced area of the wall 12 through which the middle of the looped handle can be threaded and the ends of the handle can be pulled as shown.

The handle is threaded and pulled through the slot 22 after the bag has been filled. When the handle is used for carrying the loaded bag, the weight of the contents is divided between the handle ends, and the pull is exerted substantially in the plane of the wall attached portions of the handle. There is little or no tendency, therefore, to break the adhesive joints little by little. Thus protected, the adhesive joints are stronger than the paper of the bag itself, so that the paper will tear before the adhesive can give way. The adhesive joints are both spread over such large areas, however, that the unreinforced paper in the joint area is strong enough to carry a very substantial load.

The adhesive joint is not only the cheapest form of joint which could be provided, but it is also a stronger and more satisfactory joint than could be provided by through fasteners such as staples. Staples present relatively little area and are likely to tear out of the paper unless the paper is strongly reinforced in the staple area. The adhesive joint, protected as described, is even stronger than a heavily reinforced joint formed by several staples.

The fact that the handle ends extend together through the slot in the reinforced area of the wall 12 virtually eliminates all forces tending to pull the end 20 of the handle away from the end 18 of the handle. It will be seen that the bag, although composed entirely of such inexpensive material as paper and adhesive, is superior wall 14c.

3 in itsstrength, dependability and comfort to bags of more elaborate and costly construction.

The handle 16 exerts some friction against the edges of the slot 22. The bag, whe n opened, can be set upon its rectangular base, and can be initially held open at the mouth by engaging the slotwith the handle near the end of the handle loop. This is a point of considerable advantage and convenience when the material being put into the bag isof such a nature that it is not interfered with by the handle being bridged across the bag mouth.

in the form of the invention illustratively disclosed in Figures 4 and 5, the bag a has the same body structure as the bag 10 and the handle 16a, like the handle 16, is similarly applied. in this instance, however, a reinforcing tab 21a is adhesively secured to the inner face of the wall ldzz'and extends above the walls 12a and 140. A slot ZZa-is formed through a wall 12a, and a further slot 24a is formed through the tab 21:: just above the upper edge of the wall 12a. 7 Even though the slot 22a does not penetrate the tab 21a but is disposed immediately below it, it is provided in a portion of the wall 12a which is reinforced by the tab.

When the bag has been filled, the looped middle portion of the handle 16a is threaded through the slot 22a and then back through the slot 24a and the free portions of the handle ends are then pulled through the slots. "the construction has all the advantages of the structure shown in Figures 1 to 3, and previously described. has the further advantage that the bag is secured more dependably in closed condition and will not open accidentally, even when the bag is set down or is laid on its side. The fact that the handle is passed through the tab material in one direction and then back through it in the opposite direction takes a very substantial part of the load off of the adhesive joints.

in the illustrative form of Figures 6 and 7, the bag 1012 is a simple flat bag having opposite walls 121) and 14b. A flexible paper handle 16b is connected by adhesion to the outer side of the wall 14b, one end 18b being directly adhered to the Wall 14b and the other end 2% being adhered to the end 18b. The handle is like the handles previously described but has the smooth side turned outward. Both walls are formed with a fold line AB about which their upper margins may be folded to be received between the bag body and a tab 21b which is adhesively connected to the outer face of the wall 12b. Only the lower part of the tab 21b is adhesively united with the wall 12b, the upper portion being left free to permit the folded upper ends of the walls to lie behind it. Vhen the bag has been filled, the upper margins of the walls are folded down and the middle of the handle is passed through a slot 22b formed in the tab 21b just above the fold line AB. The tab and handle keep the folds of the wall turned down as shown, causing the turned down margins of the wall 14b to protect the bag against ingress of rain, snow or sleet.

The illustrative bag 100 of Figures 8 and 9 is generally like the bag 16b in that it is a plain flat bag. The upper edge of the wall 140 terminates some distance short of the upper edge of the wall 126 at the mouth of the bag. A fold line AB extends across the bag being just tangent to the upper edge of the wall 140, except at the middle where the wall 14 is formed with a shallow broad notch 26.

A paper handle 160 has its ends 180 and 290 secured side by side, through adhesion, to the outer face of the The handle is not so broad as the handles of the embodiments hereinbefore described, but it is of uniform thickness throughout its width. The handle is in theform of a spirally wrapped paper tube which has tab 210 is adhesively secured to the wall 12c throughout the entire area of the tab. A slot 240 is formed through the reinforced area of the fold margin of the wall and a further slot 22c is formed in the reinforced area so that its longitudinal center line coincides with the fold line AB.

When the bag has been filled, the walls are folded along the line AB to closethe bag against the weather, and the middle of the handle is threaded successively through the slots 24c and 220. a

The illustrative bag 10d of Figures 10 and 11 is also a simple fiat bag. One of the two opposite walls 14d terminates in a straight edge somewhat short of the'upper edge of the other wall 12d. A fold line AB extends across the bag in both walls at a short distance below the upper edge of the wall 14d. A second fold line CD extends across the bag in the wall 12d substantially in coincidence with the upper edge of the wall 14d. 'A paper handle 16d, like the handle of the bag 10c, but with its ends somewhat farther apart, has its ends 13d and 20d adhesively secured to the outer face of the wall 14d. A tab 21d is secured to the outer face of the wall 12d, being disposed to extend a substantial distance above the fold lines AB and having a slot 21d formed in it just above the fold line AB.

When the bag is filled, the wall 12d is first folded downward about the line CD, both walls are then folded downward about the line AB, and the middle of the handle 16d is then threaded through the slot 22d and pulled to draw the ends of the handle through the slot as far as possible.

The bag 10e of Figures 12 and 13 is a satchel type bag having front and back walls 12e and 14e which, in the closed condition of the bag are folded down together at the bag mouth along a line AB. A handle 16e, like the handle 16 of Figures 1 to 3, is secured to the inner face of wall 12e by adhesion, with the handle ends in superposed relation. A reinforcing tab 21e is adhesively secured to the inner face of wall 14e with its upper edge in coincidence with the line AB along which the walls are to be folded. A slot 222 is formed through the wall 14e and the tab 21c for the passage of the handle When the bag has been filled, the handle 16e is passed upward through the slot 22c as shown in Figure 13.

The upper margin of the wall He extends beyond the upper edge of the wall 122. When the walls are folded down along the line AB the protruding margin of the wall He is brought down into contact for the first time with the outer face of the wall He. Spots 30 and 31 of gum rubber on the inner marginal face of the wall 14e and on the outer face of the wall 12e are thus brought into contact with one another. This material has the characteristic of adhering to itself but not to other bodies. It is used for sticking the folded margin of wall 14e down. The margin can be pulled 'loose and stuck down again without tearing the paper. The bag walls maybe prescored along the line AB, or the foldingmay simply be directed on the bag. In the latter case the upper edge of the tab 21e serves as an excellent mechanical folding guide.

In all of the illustrative bags, the handles are made long enough to be looped over the hand and suspended from the wrist. The handles, being broad and flat, do not dig into the wrist uncomfortably. When the circumstances require it, several of the bags can be suspended from either Wrist, or even from each wrist, of the user, leaving the hands free to handle money, open doors and to carry other objects, and to perform any other necessary tasks which may present themselves.

Reverting to the matter of the handled material of Figures 1-7 inclusive and 12 and 13, considerable varia tion may be had in its construction and specifically in the number of longitudinal folds at each side thereof. For example, the number of such folds may be reduced and also a reinforcing strand of fiberglass, or other suitable high strength material may be incorporated within each fold for additional strength, thus permitting a'lower b'asi's weight paper to be used for the strap. Furthermore, the longitudinal folds of the strap may be pasted down with or without the presence of the reinforcing strand or may be left free. While the handle has been shown with the smooth side on the inside of the grip portion thereof, this may be reversed if desired, especially when the number of thicknesses at the edges is kept low.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A carrier paper bag comprising a first wall, an opposed second Wall, a flexible looped paper carrying handle having both its ends secured by adhesion to the first wall of the bag adjacent the mouth thereof, and a tab secured by adhesion to the second wall of the bag and having an upper marginal portion which extends clear of the second bag wall, said upper marginal portion of the tab having a slot formed in it through which the middle of the handle can be threaded and the handle ends can be pulled.

2. A carrier paper bag comprising a first wall, an opposed second wall, at least one of said walls being foldable to cover the mouth of the bag, thereby to protect the bag against ingress of rain, sleet or snow, a flexible looped paper carrying handle having both its ends secured by adhesion to the outer face of the first Wall of the bag adjacent the mouth thereof, and a tab secured by adhesion to the outer face of the second wall of the bag and having an upper marginal portion which extends clear of the bag, said upper marginal portion of the tab having a slot formed in it'through which the middle of the handle can be threaded and the handle ends can be pulled.

3. A carrier paper bag comprising a first wall, an opposed second wall, a flexible looped paper carrying handle having both its ends secured by adhesion to the first wall of the bag adjacent the mouth thereof, and a reinforcing tab secured by adhesion to the second wall of the bag, there being a slot formed in the reinforcing tab, the handle passing directly from the wall to which it is secured through said slot in the direction of from the inside surface of said second wall to the outside surface thereof and directly from said slot into an accessible position outside the bag, whereby said handle functions to draw the two opposed sides of the bag together at the mouth thereof under the weight of the bag and its contents.

4. A carrier paper bag as set forth in claim 3 wherein the ends of the handle are secured to the inside surface of the first wall, the slot in the reinforcing tab is located over an area of the second wall, and said second wall is provided with a slot in coincidence with the reinforcing tab slot.

5. A carrier paper bag as set forth in claim 4, wherein said reinforcing tab is provided With a second slot located clear of the second bag wall, said handle passing from said accessible position outside the bag through said second slot.

6. A carrier paper bag as set forth in claim 3, wherein the ends of the handle are secured to the outside surface of the first wall, and said slot is located clear of the second bag wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,491,929 Orchard Dec. 20, 1949 2,603,409 Crary July 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 855,676 France Feb. 19, 1940 114,716 Sweden June 21, 1945 115,326 Sweden Sept. 6, 1945 125,583 Sweden May 19, 1949 1,062,219 France Dec. 2, 1953 

